Wrapping wire reinforcing retainer lock



Aug. 27', 1946.

J. R. CONNELL Y, ETAL- WRAPPING WIRE'REINFORCING RETAINER LOCK Filed Aug. 31 1944 -PELEELLY gigiy \MFish, v

Patented Aug. 27, 1946 WRAPPING WIRE agrg rgonome RETAINER John R. Connelly and Stanley W. Fish,

' Springfield, Mass.

Application August 31, 1944, Serial No.'552,114 I 4 Claims. (01. 217459) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in reinforcing retainers and is directed more particularly to the provision of a novel reinforcing retainer for a wrapping wire or band such as a strap or strip of metal for boxes or containers.

It is common practice to bind boxes, such as are used to contain rifles, ammunition and other ordnance materiel for example, with one or more strips or straps consisting of a length or bandof wire or flat, narrow sheet metal. It has also been known to employ what are commonly called corners or clips which fit around the, edges of the'box and over which the strips or straps lie.

It is a well-known objection to the common methods of banding, however, that if edge-engaging members are used; at all and the metallic straps or wires are tightened for the fastening operation, the said members tend to buckle with the result that parts of the fastening means project beyond the planes of the sides of the box to an objectionable extent. Thatis to say, the corners do not remain as flush with the box as desired with the result that handling thereof is not as convenient as should be the case.

Another objection to ordinary practice, where no reinforcements are used, is that the boxes, which are usually made of wood, swell when they become wet, whereupon the wire or strap is caused to bite into the wood since, of course, the metal will not stretch proportionately. The result is that when the boxes dry out and contract, the

wood pulls away from the wire and the strips become loose and are no longer, of binding value. This is to be contrasted with our practice of providing reinforcing edge members for retaining the wires or strips surrounding the box.

It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to provide a wrapping-wire retainer which is so constructed and arranged as to be substantially flush with the sides of the box to which it is fastened, thereby obviating objectionable projections both on the part of the retainer and on the part of the band. As will appear, it is'a special characteristic of the novel retainer about to be described that it tends to more or less indent the wood of which the box is made and it is so arranged as to cooperate with the wire to hold the same in a safe and secure relation.

A further object is to provide a retainer which more or less forms a lock or seal. That is to say, the arrangement is such that with the retainers and wire or strips in place, it isnecessary to break inner end portions of the wings 4 and 4.

the wire in order to get into the box wherefor the usual seal on the wire really becomes a seal'for.

As will be appreciated, the retainer or rein-' forcement of the invention is simple in form so as to be economical to manufacture an easy to manipulate, yet it efficiently performs its intended function;

The specific nature of the invention as well as other. objects and advanta es. thereof will" clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a box showing the manner utilizing the wrapping wire'retainer locks.

Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged detail cross sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the blanked-out retainer lock prior to bending.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the retainer lock.

The preferred embodiment of the retainer of the invention takes the form of a single or unitary piece of metal 2 having the general shape shown and bent transversely approximately midway of its opposite ends. This bending is to provide a pair of wing or arm members 4 and 4' which are disposed substantially at right angles to one another and which preferably have a somewhat semi-oval shape for purposes of ease in handling, efficiency in supporting and retaining the wire, as well as appearance.

The central portion of device 2 is cut out to provide a central opening or cut-out portion 6 which extends across and through the bend in the piece and into the adjacent or connected This cut-out 5 may obviously vary both in size and shape but is preferably rectangular in shape for .ease in manufacture as will be apparent,

As will be appreciated, the removal of the metal from the middle of the clip eliminates the tendency towards bulging and creating of undesirable protruding of metal. The device of this invention has relatively smooth surfaces and the wire or strap extends through the cut-out and v 3 across the edges of the box and does not project to an objectionable degree beyond the plane thereof.

At the same time that the cut-out 6 is provided in the metal piece 2, pairs of spaced parallel slits 8 and 8' may be provided in side parts 4 and 4f respectively. That is to say, the press which forms opening 6 may also provide slits whichi are coincidental with the sides of, and lead into,

tremities of said side or wing parts as shown.

opening 6 but which stop hort of the outer ex-- ';f;l

In this way, each of the arms of the device is w provided with a tongue member ID and 10/, re}: spectively. These tongues or lips are free to be bent relative to their respective arms in'a mani nor tobe described but, it is to be understood remaining integral therewith.

Adjacent the outer end of each side .or wing member, and substantially centrally thereof, is'a hole l2 and these are for receiving nails or the like to thereby fasten the device to adjacent edge portions or-sidesof the box prior to the applica- 'tion of the metal strip. Thatis to say, the operator may place the fastener around the corner or edge of the box and nail it in position prior tothe winding of the metal band or strip about the container. 7 .This is in contrast with prior practice whereby the operator, must hold the clip or retainer in place with one handwhil attempting to fasten the stripin place around the box with the other hand. As a'matter of fact, the latter practice f is almost a physical impossibility fo one man to accomplish, .while with the retainer here, being 1 described, the operator fixes thereinf orcing edge members'in place and then has his hands free to efficiently'manipulat'e the wire all of which 1 contributes to ease in handling and greater 1 security.,

e As shown, the-retainer may be anchored or fastened in place with the arms 4 and 4 thereof secured to adjacent edge portion of adjacent 1 side, top and/or bottom walls of the box, such asjAand B showmand then when the straps 3 is wrapped around the container, it extends 1on- 1 gitudinall through opening .6 and overlies tonguesjt and Hi.

H 7 Then when the strap S is tightened for the final fastening or binding operserve to reinforce the fastening but they prevent the wire or band S from digging too far into the opening 6 of the box-material. The result is, however, that member S doesactually engage the portions of the box exposed by cut-outs B.

As shown in the drawing, the peripheral edge portions, of the outer parts at least, of the wings are somewhat curled or turned inwardly. These edges, too may thus more or less indent the wood and they thereby still further contribute to a smoothsurfaced, non-projecting assembly and a more secure, reinforced binding.

5 ation, it causes the said ,tonguesto more or less indent therwood, therebyjenhancing the security oft'he binding,

wing parts, each of said wing parts having a pair of spaced parallel slits extending thereinto from the opposite ends of said cut-out thereby'forming a pair of opposed tongue-like portions, said cutout being arranged to receive a wrapping wire therein in overlying relationship to said tongue portions, said tongue-like portions being constructed and arranged to permit inward deflections thereof under the force exerted b the said wrapping wire.

2. The combination. defined in claim 1 wherein the lateral width of said tongue-like portions is substantially equal to the width of said cut-out and exceeds the diameter of the wrapping Wire.

3. The combinationdefined .in claim 1 wherein at least one of said wing parts has a hole therein arranged'to receive a .fast'enen'said hole being located'in alignment with said cut-out, whereby the wrapping. wire overlies the fastener in said hole. I is ,J

4. The combination definedin claim; l wherein 

